West Indies' hard-hitting batter unleashed his ultra-aggressive self in the International League T20 (ILT20) clash as he hit consecutive five sixes off former Indian all-rounder Yusuf Pathan. En route his 23-ball half-century, Rutherford decided to take on Pathan as he smashed five consecutive sixes to give Desert Vipers' score a major boost at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on February 2.
It started raining sixes in the 16th over. Before that, Rutherford had hit just one six and was batting on 16 off 15 deliveries. His first six came in the 14th over against the off-spinner only.
Sam Billings took a single and gave Rutherford the strike. Pathan bowled it full and Rutherford hit it over long-off for a 90-metre six. He bowled another one in his hitting arc and the ball went over long-on boundary. Pathan dragged the length back on the next delivery, but Rutherford went deep into the crease to play the pull shot for another six.
On the fourth ball, Pathan changed the angle but it did not do any difference as Rutherford hit his fourth consecutive six off a ball that was darted into the pads. On the last ball, Pathan bowled another one on the pads. This time he swept it over the fence.
The 40-year-old ended up with bowling figures of 48/1 from his full quota of four overs. The 24-year-old got to his half-century in the 18th over. However, his blistering knock was cut short with Robin Uthappa's direct hit catching him short of the crease. While Sam Billings also got dismissed, tailenders carried the momentum and helped Vipers post a fighting total of 182/7.
No takes in auction
In Indian Premier League (IPL) mini auction, Rutherford went unsold. The southpaw’s base price was Rs 1.5 crore. Rutherford had played in two IPL seasons. He has scored 106 runs from 10 appearances at an average of 15.14. In the previous season he played for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) who released him before the auction. RCB roped him in for Rs 1 crore.
